Thursday, December 23, 2010

Well, we are now sitting in the Addis Ababa airport and waiting to board our 17+ hour direct flight back to the States. It has been a hard day, just because of saying all our goodbyes but we know that God is good! We aren't looking forward to traveling for the next 28 hours, but what a wonderful trip this has been for our growing family. We have loved every second of being in Ethiopia and would not have traded this trip for anything. The country, the people, and Greer {of course} are all so beautiful and we could not have asked for more this Christmas.

Yesterday and today we spent most of our day at the transition house loving on and getting to know our son more and more. He is a little pistol for sure and we definitely know that we will have our hands full when we bring him home!! He slept in his new nursery room at night but we got to play with him during the day whenever we wanted. He is only 1 of 2 babies in his new room, instead of 1 of 15 like he was at the orphanage. It was really neat to hear all the nannies telling him in Amharic that we are his mommy and daddy {enat and ababa}, and we didn't mind reminding him too!! He was pretty cold to us on Tuesday when he first arrived at the transition house but I'm pretty sure it was just because he had a traumatic day. He had been at the same orphanage since he was 5 days old, so add in a completely new environment and a 2 hour car ride, and that's enough to throw any one for a loop. However, when we walked in his room on Wednesday morning, he was all smiles! He reached for me immediately and didn't want us to put him down. We had our battles throughout the day, as he's very quick to throw a fit if he doesn't get his way, but overall, our time together was perfect. Today we spent some time with him in our room and it was really sweet to get some alone time together.

He's doing really well adjusting to his new environment and we could not ask for a better place to leave our son. The nannies and all the transition home staff already know his name, and frequently pop in his room just to visit and tell him hello. He's had a bit of stomach trouble since arriving though and was also coughing quite a bit today. We talked with the on-site nurse about our concerns, and she gave him some medicine and assured us that she'd take good care of him while we're gone. She also told us that she would make sure they fattened him up a bit before we come back to get him. She said he'd look like Santa Claus next time we saw him! I don't know if we want him to look exactly like Santa, but we'll be glad to see him out of 3-6 month clothes finally!!

Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever done. To know that he's finally our son but still have to leave him is torture. After a wonderful day together, it nearly broke our hearts to say "ciao" to him. When we finally got around to it, both Ryan and I were crying, and I'm sure Natty could sense that something was going on. When we handed him over to his nanny, he cried and reached for us. That was very hard to see, but we are also thankful that in our 5 days together, he's recognizing our love for him more and more. He is definitely the best gift we've ever received and we are praying for a quick trip back to bring him home!!

Well, it is time for us to begin boarding so I better cut this short. We are sad to leave but are excited to finally be back on US soil by 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. Blessings to you all and Merry Christmas from the Sweeney family of almost 4 :)

we havce been following your journey over the last couple days. first of all- congratulations !!!! on your new precious son : )

secondly- : ( , it must be so had to leave without him. i know it will be for us. just remember he is your son and will be coming home on your next travel. it must be so hard though, i know, with him being half way around the world ! just keep marking your calendar and planning the reunion of emotions !!!!

about moi

loved and redeemed by Jesus. married to the man of my dreams. momma of a son from Ethiopia {home march 19, 2011!} and a daughter {born may 21, 2011}. grad and fan of the university of kentucky. red sox fan. book nerd. passionate about orphan care. lover of all things pink. funfetti addicted.